Brazen YouTube ‘coaches' teaching thousands of migrants how to bring their WHOLE families to UK using little-known visa

The Irish Sun

5 hours ago

More than 25,000 migrants have come to the UK on small boats this year
IMMIGRATION 'LOOPHOLE' Brazen YouTube 'coaches' teaching thousands of migrants how to bring their WHOLE families to UK using little-known visa
BRAZEN Youtube coaches are teaching thousands of migrants on how to bring their whole family to the UK using a little-known visa scheme.
It comes as 25,000 migrants have come to the UK on small boats this year, a record number since the crisis began in 2018.
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More than 25,000 migrants have been recorded arriving across the Channel so far this year
Credit: PA
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Kelvin Ossai is a self proclaimed "lifestyle and relocation content creator" on YouTube who offers advice on the charity visa route
Credit: Instagram/@officialkelvinossai/
Immigration lawyers are also posting videos online coaching potential migrants on how to submit asylum applications that almost "almost always win" by claiming they've changed religion.
But the little-known charity visa allows foreigners to volunteer in the UK for up to a year.
In a series of online videos it is explained how the charity visa can be used as "leverage" to bring dependents with them to stay for the long-term.
The number of migrants arriving via the route is growing and the government has a list of 1,400 charities that sponsor visas with many being churches and other religious organisations.
Kelvin Ossai from Nigeria is a self proclaimed "lifestyle and relocation content creator" on YouTube who offers advice on the charity visa route.
In a video seen more than 23,000 times, he explains how it can be used as "leverage to bring your family into the UK".
Ossai describes how dependants can work as a "catch" in the rules, detailing how those on the charity visas can get stipends and money from other sources.
'Most churches in the UK are charity organisations," he says.
"Most of them have the license to sponsor you on a charity visa - don't say I told you this."
He also explains in his videos that while charity workers cannot receive a formal salary, there are still ways for them to receive money.
25K migrants have arrived across the Channel so far this year despite Labour's promise to crackdown
He says: 'Even if you're working for them for free, your employer can also give you stipends and pay for your transport.
'They can provide you free accommodation, give you stipends for feeding and all that but it will not be classed as a salary.'
He also details how the year can be extended while people on student visa may find it easier to remain in the country via the charity route rather than a work visa.
Ossai told The Sun: "My videos are created to inform and guide skilled professionals on how they can legally move to the UK through existing government-approved visa routes, particularly those targeting shortage occupations.
"What I'm building is a community of skilled migrants who come to the UK legally, work in areas where they're needed, and live productive lives. I always encourage ethical migration.
"Nothing in my content promotes shortcuts or misuse of the system. It's all about helping people find opportunities that already exist legally.
"My goal has always been to support ethical migration—helping people understand the rules, follow them, and give back while building a life here."
Each applicant via the charity visa, including their partner and any dependants, must pay £319 on top of an annual healthcare surcharge and prove they have at least £1,270 in savings.
The YouTubers claim that it is cheaper than other routes and while the main applicant cannot do paid work, dependants can.
Tochi Esther, another YouTuber with 180,000 subscribers, makes videos about "life in the UK".
In one video she interviews a woman who moved her family into the country using the charity visa route.
The woman explains that while the visa doesn't allow paid employment, there are still ways to make money and work towards staying in the UK permanently.
In the video, the interviewee explains how charities will pay a stipend for food and transportation while some will even provide accommodation.
They also outline how those on the visa can do 20 hours of voluntary work with organisations other than their visa sponsor.
'Luckily for me as a volunteer working in the nursery, I was being paid as a volunteer," they said.
You still get paid as a volunteer, so I still get paid somehow.
"My husband can do any type of work … he works anywhere and as many hours as possible.'
The video has since been made private but The Sun contacted Esther who said her videos are based entirely on information published by the UK government.
"I do not offer immigration advice, as my videos come with a disclaimer stating my content is strictly informational, summarizing official updates in a more accessible format, similar to what is already reported by public media outlets," she said.
"While I do highlight changes to legal UK visa routes as announced by the government, I always emphasize that viewers should consult qualified immigration professionals or rely on official government guidance for any personal decisions."
Immigration lawyers have also been coaching asylum seekers on how to submit applications that "almost always win".
Sherissa Cupid-Bennett, who describes herself as a UK-based immigration lawyer, told her followers that one of the most reliable methods for claiming asylum was to submit a claim on the basis "you converted from Islam to another religion".
One of her videos is titled "3 types of asylum claims with the best chance of success" where she explains how as long as immigration officers believe they are telling the truth about converting from Islam, they are almost always certain to win the claim.
There is no indication that she is coaching applicants to lie or any other suggestion of wrongdoing.
Cupid-Bennett has been contacted for comment as have the Home Office.
The news of these brazen YouTubers comes amid protests over the weekend outside a controversial migrant hotel.
Mothers and children dressed in pink protested outside the four-star Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf on Saturday — before masked yobs hijacked the event and clashed with police.
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Women made their point on the peaceful pink protest march at the weekend
Credit: Louis Wood